Hi, Graflex fans!
How can you distinguish a Graphic View from a Graphic View II? This question comes up here often. I put one example of each of these cameras side-by-side, and offer the following observations:
1. The rail of the View measures 14.5" to the View II's 17.5."
2. Center the standards and extend the bellows as far as it will go. Measure the length of the bellows that is showing. The View shows 10.5" of bellows at full extension, measured standard to standard; the View II shows 14.5" of bellows. The distance between the lens palne and the film plane is similarly different, but I thought that just measuring the exposed bellows was easier.
3. The Graphic View's standards tilt from the bottom. The View II standards pivot at the center.
To my knowledge, the name plate for the GV and GVII both say just "Graphic View." There was never a notation to show the "II." The plate for the GV has one patent number, while three patent numbers are listed in the same place in the fine print on the bottom of the II plate. Otherwise, they appear to be the same, right down to the "8" after Rochester. I have never seen a name plate that showed the camera was a "II" other than by difference in the patent numbers.
Parts are interchangeable between the View and the View II, so you may have a hybrid. I personally like my View II that I moved to the shorter Graphic View rail. I consider the defining distinction to be the difference in the tilting mechanism.